"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Is The Corrupt DC Democratic Establishment Trying To Take Over Your State's Democracy? It Is In Ohio

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At tonight's SisterGiant/BlueAmerica progressive candidates forum (6pm, PT; 9pm back East), Marianne is interviewing congressional candidates Mike Noland from Illinois and Mike Manypenny from West Virginia. Last night she spoke with Rep. Ted Lieu (CA), Carol Shea-Porter (NH) and Rubin Kihuen (NV). That link just above allows you to watch the brand new interviews and the archived ones as well. Yesterday Bob Cesca brought a different race into focus in making a point Marianne has been making as well-- despite all the commotion about the presidential race and the Trumpf flying penis circus, campaigns for the Senate and House are absolutely crucial and shouldn't be overlooked. Cesca illustrates his point with a look at one of the Blue America Senate candidates, P.G. Sittenfeld in Ohio, who Chuck Schumer and the corrupt Democratic establishment have been working hard to sabotage.

In Ohio, probably the most important swing state in the country, there is also a race going on for the U.S. Senate, one of maybe four or five that will determine who controls the upper chamber of Congress. The Republican, Rob Portman, is exactly the Jeb-like stooge you'd expect. He's George W. Bush's former trade negotiator and budget guy, someone who thinks defunding Planned Parenthood, opposing a minimum wage increase, blocking universal background checks on guns and refusing to do his job as laid out in the Constitution, to put a new justice on the Supreme Court.But the real race here right now is in the state's Democratic Primary. While I'd rather not attack a Democrat, there is just too much of a difference between the young, urban-based, future-looking campaign of P.G. Sittenfeld, and the Blue Dog-ish, uninspiring, ghost-like campaign of the one-term former governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland. The former can beat Rob Portman, the latter simply has no chance, and will lose like he did his reelection campaign in 2010.P.G. is a progressive's progressive in the mold of former senators John Glenn and the late Howard Metzenbaum, as well as current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. He's for scrapping the cap on Social Security. He supports universal background checks on guns, as well as forward thinking measures like microstamping of ammunition. He's for paid family leave, a $15 minimum wage and bold measures to do all we can to ameliorate the climate crisis. He's also fully, proudly and loudly pro-choice.

The DSCC endorsed Ted Strickland attacked Rob Portman rightfully for disrespecting Article II by refusing to support a new Supreme Court Justice, while refusing to debate his primary opponent. This is not a D-rated NRA supporter, like Bernie Sanders, but an A-plus rated NRA booster, who voted against every single gun-safety measure ever placed before him. He thought guns in bars were a good idea. And Stand Your Ground. And immunity for gun companies.Strickland fought against paid sick leave; wouldn't raise taxes on the wealthy as governor because he said it would hurt the economy (so he cut mental health funding and library funding instead); he voted to get rid of Glass-Steagall, and got a 30 percent rating from NARAL at one point in Congress (which is considered anti-choice); and recently said he'd support a Supreme Court Justice who is anti-choice. Before having his spokesperson walk it back. He wanted a "pause" in Syrian refugees, opposes a $15 minimum wage and was a friend of coal as governor, who when asked about Keystone refused to take a position because it was "controversial."

Is this what Democrats think counts as leadership? Do Ohio progressives think this kind of cautious, hide-and-go-seek approach to important issues is what will inspire people? There are also the matters of he fact that Strickland is not someone who can sit in this seat for numerous terms, as someone who would be 75 years old when sworn in. And the fact that while P.G. is vivacious and charismatic, Strickland is halting and awkward.This might be why the only two-term Democratic governor in the past 50 years in Ohio, Dick Celeste, has endorsed P.G. It honestly couldn't be clear who will be a better Senator, and he has a chance of getting there, unlike his opponent. More of the same isn't selling this election season.This is too important a national race to let slide by without getting engage. Progressives should support P.G. Ohio Democrats must vote for him. We should all contribute what we can. He is the ascendant Obama coalition; let's make sure he ascends right now.Best yet, P.G. Sittenfeld received the endorsement of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul actor Jonathan Banks.

This race is another example of Schumer trying to tell locals who he and his paymasters on Wall Street want in the Senate. He's doing the same thing to Democrats in Pennsylvania, in Illinois, in Maryland and in Florida, and in every case he is dictating that THE Democratic candidate will be a less progressive, more "easily managed" inside-the-box thinker. Just this morning, Alan Grayson in Florida wrote to his supporters that the establishment in Washington doesn't want anyone else like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders in the U.S. Senate. That's why they're trying so hard to defeat us."

Last May, as Reuters reported, big Wall Street banks-- specifically, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America – were so concerned about Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s call to break up the big banks that they threatened to cut off their campaign contributions to Senate Democrats.

You didn’t hear Wall Street deny the story. How could they? And you didn’t hear Senate Democrats say that they would ignore the threat. How could they? They’re hooked on Wall Street sewer money. Chuck Schumer, for instance, the would-be Senate Democratic Leader, has taken $23 million in cold, hard cash from Wall Street all by himself.Well, Senate Democrats couldn’t get rid of unbought progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren who had already won their seats in the Senate. But they could appease their Wall Street masters by making sure that no new unbought progressives joined their ranks.You know, someone like me.And if they could elect someone like Patrick Murphy instead-- someone who has taken more sewer money from Wall Street during his time in Congress than any other House Democrat-- well, that would be a twofer.Let’s face the facts. The corrupt, mendacious Democratic Establishment in Washington has promised Wall Street “no more Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders types in the U.S. Senate.” That’s why they have gone all-out to drag empty-suit Wall Street errand boy Patrick Murphy across the finish line....When we win, it will curtail the omnipotence of the Democratic Establishment, the billionaires, the multinational corporations, and the special interests who are dominating the priorities in Congress. They know it. And they fear it. That’s why they keep coming after me and my family with ridiculous attacks that have no basis in reality. And the stenographers posing as reporters in the corporate-owned lapdog media are more than happy to act as conveyer belts for their “oppo dump.”To hell with them. To hell with them all. Because when I have your help, they are powerless. With your help, we will win, we will wash them away, and we will make America a land of justice, equality and peace.

Grayson's description applies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois as much as it does in Florida. Schumer has gotten his bankster buddies to help finance the Schumercrats he promises them will balance out Elizabeth Brown, Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley and Sherrod Brown. This is what the Schumercrats have taken from the Finance Sector so far this cycle, amounts that are rapidly rising: